With the advent of the deregulation of the telephone system in the United States, many conceptual changes have been required and are yet to be required in both equipment and services, not the least of which is the identity of the party responsible for repair and maintenance between subscriber and telephone company owned telephone outside equipment. A telephone subscriber, for instance, may now own his own telephones, premise wiring, PABX'S, and other associated equipment, the maintenance of which is his sole responsibility. It is in this context where the invention is most useful.
Recent rulings by the FCC require that a device be installed on the premises of each subscriber that will permit testing of the integrity of that part of the subscriber loop owned by the telephone company. The rationale behind this rule is to provide a means whereby a subscriber may avoid a telephone service charge by the telephone company arising out of a subscriber complaint regarding faulty telephone service in those instances where the faulty service is in that portion of the subscriber loop belonging to the telephone company. By use of the invention, either a subscriber and/or a telephone service person may easily unplug a previously connected jack and plug, insert another plug connected to an operating telephone and if a call can be made using such an arrangement, that portion of the subscriber loop owned by the telephone company is without fault and the fault must be in the premise wiring or equipment. Thus, a telephone subscriber may perform this testing function for himself and thus avoid a service call charge for trouble that is within that part of the subscriber loop owned by the telephone company and for which they are responsible.
The invention is a network interface device designed and adapted to be connected to the non-telephone company owned premise wiring and the telephone company owned portion of the subscriber loop at the juncture where the two connect one to the other and may be mounted inside or outside of the subject premises. If it is mounted on the outside, it is readily available to telephone company personnel as well as the subscriber. The device, mechanically and electrically, connects the premise wiring to the non-premise wiring and provides a quick disconnect means there between, namely a plug and jack. The plug is mechanically and electrically engaged to the jack thus forming an electrical circuit between the subscriber owned premise wiring equipment and the telephone owned portion of the subscriber loop. Removal of the plug from the jack disconnects the two and provides a jack into which a plug, connected to an operating telephone, may be inserted. If there is no fault in the telephone company owned subscriber loop portion, dial tone will be heard and a call may be made, thus indicating that any fault must be in the subscriber owned premises wiring and/or equipment. Absent a dial tone and a completed call, indicates the reverse, i.e., there is a fault in the telephone company owned portion of the subscriber loop.